If you’ve read author Deborah Fletcher Mello, you know she’s all about bringing the family drama. She’s bringing the drama once again with the latest installment of her To Serve and Seduce series, Stalked by Secrets.
Tell me about your latest book.
My newest release, Stalked by Secrets, is the fourth book in my To Serve and Seduce series. The series follows members of a Chicago family dedicated to law enforcement. Stalked by Secrets is the story of the youngest brother in the family, Davis Black, who is a city alderman being investigated by journalist Neema Kamau. Neema believes he may be corrupt, and she wants to break that story to further her career. She doesn’t anticipate that she may actually break Davis’s heart when they fall for each other.
What inspired you to write it?
I love family drama! I love writing about the dynamics that play into the relationships between parents and siblings and friends and family. I also wanted to write a story where the Black characters weren’t on the wrong side of the law. Where they were fighting for justice and fairness and not being criminalized. The Black family tugged hard at my creative heartstrings, and as I began to flesh the characters out, their stories started to haunt me, anxious to be told.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
As a little girl, my late grandmother would walk me to the library book mobile every week to check out books. She would spend hours reading to me, and it was as if I disappeared into whole other worlds. I couldn’t get enough! My love affair with the written word began very early, even before I could read for myself, and it is still strong and steady to this day.
What’s the best part of being an author?
For me, the best part of being an author is that one note or message from a reader who read my story and it touched them enough that they’ve taken time out of their day to tell me what it meant to them, even if it’s to critique something they didn’t like. Those moments keep me writing.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
I find the business of writing to be the hardest part of being an author. I envy writers who make publishing look easy because I know it’s not. There’s a level of dedication required to wear all the publishing hats necessary to bring a book to fruition. I’m not good at self-promotion, and books don’t necessarily sell themselves without a little push or gentle shove every now and again. For me, putting the words on paper is as easy as breathing, and once I send that book out into the world, I’m ready to move on to the next story. The business of doing that gives me hives! I’m a bit of a recluse and slightly shy, so the public stuff necessary to get the word out about a book sometimes gives me anxiety.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I just finished Beverly Jenkins’s newest release, Wild Rain and loved it, but then I love all things Beverly Jenkins! I’m also enamored with everything by author Rachel Howzell Hall and recently read her book And Now She’s Gone. At the moment though I’m in the middle of Valerie Wilson Wesley’s recent release A Glimmer of Death and exceptionally excited that she’s back with a new series.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
My TBR [to be read] list is miles long, but there are a few that have me biting my nails to get my hands on! At the top of that list is Vanessa Riley’s historical novel Island Queen, based on the true-life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies. Then there’s Kaia Alderson’s Sisters in Arms, the story of the black women who served during World War II. Also on my list is Olivia Matthew’s Murder by Page One. Olivia Matthews is the cozy mystery pseudonym for author Patricia Sargeant, who I absolutely adore, and then there’s Farrah Rochon’s romantic comedy, The Dating Playbook. I’m also exited for Denny S. Bryce’s Wild Women and the Blues. LOL! The list is longer than I thought, but there are some exceptionally talented writers our here, and I’m never disappointed with a read from any of these five authors.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently finishing up the final books in the To Serve and Seduce series. There are two siblings left to write about, brother Ellington and sister Vaughan. Then I’m on to a new series that I recently signed to write for Harlequin, which I’m very excited about! It’s set in New Orleans and is very noir. It features the women of Sorority Row Detective Agency, which is owned by former debutante and fashion model Claudia Edouard Martin, and operated by her daughters Lenore, Celeste, Alexis, and Sophie Martin. They are supported by the family patriarch, Josiah Martin, a former drug kingpin with some serious inner-city connections. It’s sexy and gritty, and the stories will take readers into some very dark places. I can’t write fast enough. I’m so excited!
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I just want to express my sincerest appreciation to you and to the readers who continue to support me. I published my first book in 2003, and it amazes me that I’m still here, still able to share the crazy in my head with people who seem genuinely interested in the stories I have to tell. I wouldn’t be here, able to do this, if it weren’t for all of you. So, thank you!
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To learn more about author Deborah Fletcher Mello, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: www.deborahmello.org
YouTube: http://bit.ly/MelloYoutube
Twitter: http://bit.ly/MelloTwitter
Facebook: http://bit.ly/MelloFB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/MelloIG